VIDEO: Refugee camps

Mulugeta Weldeab points to the new Adventist church in the Hitsats Refugee Camp.

Africa

Miracle church for Hitsats Refugee Camp

Posted May 6, 2018

Eritrea, Africa–Residents of the country of Eritrea, which is situated between Ethiopia and Sudan, have been fleeing to refugee camps by the thousands. Mulugeta and Zaid Weldeab, husband and wife, were among the refugees who escaped. They found themselves in the Hitsats Refugee Camp in northern Ethiopia where they began witnessing for Jesus as they had done in their homeland of Eritrea before it became dangerous.

When mission officials noticed the large number of baptisms resulting from Bible studies Mulugeta had given, they hired him as a Gospel Outreach worker.

The Adventist churches in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, adopted him as a worker. He conducted Bible studies and held services in the small house the United Nations provided. When I visited the camp last year, Mulugeta said, “We need a church. Other denominations have a church, and people ask, ‘Where is your church?’”

The small group of believers showed us a parcel of land that the camp authorities had given for the building of a church, which would cost about $5,000 U.S. I wondered how these people could possibly raise such an amount. But they prayed fervently about the matter.

Nahom Yitebarek, president of the Tigrai Mission, went to his computer and sent out a message stating the need for a new church. An Eritrean physician in the United States happened to see the message and quickly raised the needed funds to begin construction. What a day of rejoicing when the lovely new church was opened and dedicated. Many visitors from the camp joined the members for this special occasion. Please pray that many more camp residents will accept Jesus and be part of the Hitsats Refugee Camp congregation.

The 10/40 Window is a rectangular region found between 10 and 40 degrees north latitude. It includes North Africa, the Middle East, India, China, the Philippines and scores of neighboring countries.

It’s home to Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. There’s a large nonreligious block too.

Compared with other areas in the world, little is being done to reach the 10/40 Window, and yet it holds the key to fulfilling the Great Commission. It’s the last great frontier for evangelism before Jesus returns.

“No one has the right to hear the gospel twice, while there remains someone who has not heard it once.”

As missions advocate Oswald J. Smith has said, “No one has the right to hear the gospel twice, while there remains someone who has not heard it once.”

Since 1993, Gospel Outreach has focused on telling the story of Jesus in the 10/40 Window. One of the most effective ways to do this is by sponsoring indigenous Bible workers who have a desire to share their love for the Lord among their own people. They already understand the culture, language, religion and social environment of the people living around them. And they can be sponsored through the Gospel Outreach Adopt-a-Worker program for $150 per month per worker, on average.

My uncle’s gentle witness

by V. Karunakar Rao, Gospel Outreach WorkerPosted July 16, 2017

“If You will heal me, I promise that I will serve You,” I prayed.

India—I used to be a devout Hindu. I trusted 330 million gods and believed in Karma—the view that every activity in life had inescapable consequences that would determine my future destiny when I would be reincarnated. I smoked and could not resist alcohol.

One day I became very sick. My wife and family were frightened when they witnessed me vomiting nearly two liters of blood. In distress, they sent for my uncle, who came to visit me. This made me angry. “Why did you come to me?” I shouted. “I don’t want to hear anything about your Jesus!” I scolded him and told him to go back home.

But instead of leaving, he began to tell me in a loving way that Jesus was my Creator God. “If you would only trust Him,” he said, “Jesus can heal you of sickness and help you in your weakness.” Later, when the sickness did not leave me, I decided to reach out to Jesus. I prayed, “If You will heal me, I promise that I will serve You till my last dying breath.”

Just when I decided to surrender my bad habits to Jesus, my uncle knocked at my door again. He prayed for me. Suddenly as he was praying, a light came into my mind and I sensed a wonderful peace. I immediately threw all the Hindu gods in my home into the trash and destroyed anything that related to my old sinful ways.

I was delighted when an evangelist came to hold meetings in a village near mine. Our family attended every meeting. I will never forget the day my whole family was baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church. That was 14 years ago. Today, I work with Gospel Outreach in North Rayalaseema section in Andhra Pradesh. I have decided to use my testimony to reach out to others who need to hear about Jesus.

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About Gospel Outreach

Gospel Outreach is a nonprofit organization fully dedicated to extending the international ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in developing areas of the world—with an emphasis on the 10/40 Window.

Volunteer Staff

Gospel Outreach has no salaried employees. Staff, officers, board members and regional directors are volunteers of singular purpose: sharing the story of Jesus with people who haven't been reached. We invite you to join in this mission.